Man faces jail over teen sex messages

A middle-aged man who tried to incite a teenaged schoolgirl to engage in sexual activity with him has been warned to expect a jail sentence.

Noel Rigby had been on bail during his trial, but the judge remanded him in custody to await sentence next month.

During the trial at Liverpool Crown Court, the jury of five women and seven men heard how, on August 7 last year, Rigby stopped his car on a Wigan street alongside a group of five or six girls, who were aged 15.

He asked if one could fix his phone but she said she could not, said Trevor Parry-Jones, prosecuting.

He also said he wished they were all over 18 and then made a lewd remark to the 15-year-old victim.

The next day the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, began receiving Facebook messages from 55-year-old Rigby, inciting her to engage in oral sex.

Her parents were told about it and, after the police were notified, Rigby was arrested.

Rigby, of Harlech Street, Ashton-in-Makerfield, was convicted of inciting the girl to engage in sexual activity.

He had denied the charge. telling the jury that the girls must have misheard him when he met them in the street, and claimed that he was telling them about reincarnation and had not made any lewd overtures to the teenager.

He also denied sending the girl any Facebook messages.

Judge Anil Murray said that the guidelines indicated an immediate jail sentence, but as he wanted to know more about Rigby first, he ordered a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

“Don’t read anything into the fact I am asking for a report,” Judge Murray warned him, and ordered Rigby to sign on the Sex Offenders’ Register.